Keratoconus: the clinical experience of a Brisbane ophthalmologist

Keratoconus is a common corneal dystrophy. In order to characterize an Australian experience with this condition, a retrospective study of 295 consecutive cases of keratoconus presenting to one Brisbane ophthalmologist (GR) was performed. The majority (82%) of patients presented before the age of 40 years. Keratoconus was bilateral in 240 (81%) patients and unilateral in 55 (19%) patients. Family history of keratoconus occurred in 43 (15%) patients. A history of atopy and eye rubbing was obtained in 131 (44%) and 30 (10%) patients, respectively. Follow-up after a mean +/- SD of 5 +/- 5 years was obtained in 188 patients. Treatment modalities at follow-up included rigid gas-permeable contact lenses (CL) (48%), PMMA CL (3%), corneal graft (25%), no treatment (13%), spectacles (9%), soft CL (2%). The annual corneal graft rate was 3% per year per eye. With careful contact lens fitting most keratoconus patients will not require a corneal graft.